Blowing off a little steam...and some older woodworking

I will make a valiant attempt to keep the material on this blog directly related to craftsmanship and history as I promised in my welcome post about a month ago (please refer here if you would like: http://thenewportmechanick.blogspot.com/2015/01/welcome.html).  But late last week, our household received some news that truly incensed me.  For those of you who would like to skip my diatribe, please skip to the first photo.

I have mentioned in previous posts that my wonderful wife suffered an injury last November and has been recovering.  I really never mentioned the severity of the injury.  Well, long story short, she was unfortunate enough to sever an artery, a nerve, and several tendons in her right (dominant) forearm.  The night of the incident, she was rushed to two separate hospitals that managed to mishandle the case.  Not until the following week, when she saw a specialist suggested by our insurance carrier, did the true severity of the injury come to light.  He was appalled, that neither hospital had seen fit to operate that very night.  Fast forward through surgery and still ongoing therapy to last week.  Although she still has extremely limited use of her dominant hand, the State of Rhode Island has seen fit to deny her Temporary Disability claim, stating that she has limited use of her hand and could perform other duties.  I was slightly angered when I read this.  But after I looked at the website, I was incensed.  The site clearly states that to be eligible for benefits:

To be medically eligible for TDI benefits, a Qualified Healthcare Provider (QHP) or medical practitioner must certify that you are functionally unable to perform your customary and regular work duties [emphasis added by me]. Your QHP will tell us the length of time he/she expects you to be unable to work. 

For your eligibility to begin the first day you were disabled you must have an in-office examination by a licensed Qualified Healthcare Provider (QHP) that week, the week before or the week after, your disability began. A contact with the QHP via a telephone call is not acceptable by TDI law as a timely examination by a licensed QHP. 

Additionally, you may be asked to make an appointment with an impartial medical examiner if we believe an exam is necessary. Your benefits will be stopped if you do not make or keep the appointment with the impartial medical examiner.

Functionally unable to perform customary duties...not other duties.  Now, that being said, I am not a fan of big government or government regulation in our daily lives.  But equally, both my wife and I have been forced to pay into this system our entire working lives.  It would certainly be nice to see that the government bureaucracy and programs that we are mandated to pay for are available to us as well.  If government programs will not be available to the masses, they should kindly leave our hard-earned income in our pockets.   Coupled with the stories of abuse of the system, it makes me at least, wonder how many other legitimate claims are being denied while our representation worries only about reelection and the balance of political power at the state and federal level.  I vote in every election, but this will certainly bring a new level of importance to the exercise of that right, privilege, and responsibility.  We as a people must force our representatives to serve their constituents before their parties.  And moreover, I can guarantee that I will make my concerns known to my representatives by e-mail, letter, and phone if need be.

I appreciate that not all people feel the same as I.  That is the beauty of our country.  We are all entitled to our opinions.  We may not agree with the opinions of others, but it is imperative that we respect the rights of others to their opinions.  And I hope that instead of arguing among ourselves, that we can have an honest discourse about ideas.  As long as we allow ourselves to be divided, we will continue to perpetuate a political system that is not in anyone's best interest.

Thank you for weathering my screed, and I sincerely hope that my position has not offended any of my readers.

Beginning a set of green carving tools.

So, discretion being the better part of valor, I determined that I would not let my anger and disappointment keep me from the shop this past weekend.  But I also didn't want to risk the progress I have made on the bedside table and barn lanterns I have been working on through lack of focus. Instead, I finally buckled down and began the mundane tasks that most of us put off until the very final moment.  I began cleaning, organizing, rehabbing, and just generally bringing the shop back to the level it had been at years ago before my hiatus.  I took the opportunity to sharpen an Ebay hewing hatchet and carving knife.

Stanley #4, and I've been caught: two Stanley 45 blades I failed to put away properly.

I also disassembled a 1930's Stanley #4 that I have had for months in preparation for restoring it to working order.  I have a few cheap newer planes that I use, but there's just something about vintage tools for me.  We will see.

I also continued the process of eliminating a decade or more of accumulated detritus from the basement.  It will be a slow process, but I want to make room for a new workbench in the spring, once I have finished a bathroom remodel and a new living room ceiling. 

Also, I've been lacking in real work, so I'd like to share an older project.  I've been collecting hand tools for some time now, and this past spring I realized that my damp basement was creating more upkeep than necessary.  I began researching tool chests.  Being mainly interested in historical work, I turned to the ubiquitous Lost Art Press and +Christopher Schwarz, a site I'm sure most of us have been following for many years.  A floor chest was out of the question a I just didn't have the real estate to devote.  I also believed it would be some time before I would require that much space (I laughed to myself as I typed that misguided thought).  So the Dutch chest seemed to fit the bill.

Laying out the angle for the side pieces.

Sides cut and dovetailed. And my table saw filling its new role:assembly bench.

The dados cut with a chisel and finished with a router plane.

The assembly begins with the dovetailed bottom and sides.

Clamping the shelf into the dados.  I added nails later for insurance.

Front in place.  Beginning the tongue and groove back.

Just as advertised, plenty of space for the bench planes.

Gluing up the top.

Finished, in the white.

Almost ready to go to work, after a few coats of my favorite Federal Blue milk paint.

I was able to go this far in one weekend in May while my wife and children were away visiting family.  About a month later, I got back to work and finished the interior.

My chest, as it appeared this morning.  The tool rack was finished in June.

Please excuse me for sharing a project that has probably already received its fair share of publicity with other blogs around the virtual wood shop.

In other news, I have also ordered a pair of carcass saws from +Lee Valley Tools, and they should be waiting for me at home tonight.  That's another reason I've been procrastinating on the bedside table.  I know they will be a joy to use in finishing the project, especially compared to the $10 home center back saw that I've been ashamedly keeping out of photos here on the blog.

As always, thank you for visiting and I hope to see you again soon.